Intro

There are many factors that go into what makes a good monitor. Once you decide on a size and budget you have to look at the panel type, resolution, connectivity, adjustability and extra features. Just one step below 30-inch screens often costing over £1,000, 27-inch IPS displays with a fantastically-high 2,560 x 1,440 resolution are the cream of the affordable crop.

Coming in at around £580, the professionally-oriented ViewSonic VP2770-LED costs around £20 more than Samsung’s rival S27A850D (SA850 27in), but does offer greater adjustability, more connectivity, and uses a later-generation panel that’s been factory calibrated.

In fact, on paper ViewSonic’s entrant has it all: an LED-backlit, 10-bit IPS panel, tuned presets, more video connections than you can shake a very long stick at (even VGA!), a built-in USB 3.0 hub, and full adjustability including tilt, swivel, height and pivot. Even the included cable selection is generous, and ViewSonic throws in a 3-year warranty to boot. Does this make its VP2770-LED the bargain it appears to be?

ViewSonic VP2770-LED - Design and Build

The VP2770-LED is a monitor that means business, and as such doesn’t make any apologies for its business-like looks. Every bit of this monitor is covered in lightly textured matt black plastic, meaning it’s easy to maintain and doesn’t particularly show off fingerprints or dust.

ViewSonic also gets brownie points for making the entire bezel relatively thin and perfectly uniform, with its logo imprinted quite subtly and an unobtrusive blue power LED. While the VP2770-LED’s chassis will never be a showcase like that of the designer Samsung Series 9 S27B970D, that’s not what most high-end monitors are (or should be) about.

Build quality throughout is good. The plastics used are thick and there’s no creak or give anywhere, except for one small panel in the stand leg’s centre that’s hardly likely to come into contact with anything. Assembly is easy and secure, only requiring the base to be attached to the stand with a simple thumb-screw. A holding pin needs to be removed to allow height adjustment.

ViewSonic VP2770-LED - Adjustability

When it comes to adjustments, the VP2770-LED is playing to win. It offers the usual 25-degree tilt and a very welcome 90 degree pivot, in addition to superb swivel in both directions. What gives the VP2770-LED an edge though is its incredible height adjustment, which takes the bezel’s base from 10cm at its lowest point to a whopping 25cm off your desk. Mind you, most high-end 27-inch displays can be adjusted much lower, but we far prefer the extra height.

Adjustments on this ViewSonic are not quite as smooth as on some rivals but offer a reassuring solidity. Just be careful to ensure the screen is positioned high enough when attempting to pivot.

ViewSonic VP2770-LED – Connectivity and Cables

Connectivity is likewise top notch. On the video side of things you get to choose between DisplayPort, HDMi 1.4, dual-link DVI and even VGA. There’s a 3.5mm jack to output audio from HDMI, which is great when hooking up a gaming console or media player. Thankfully, ViewSonic hasn’t wasted space and money trying to integrate speakers. Finally there’s a four-port USB 3.0 hub, which is always a nice addition – especially since dedicated USB 3.0 hubs are far from cheap.

ViewSonic provides pretty much every cable you might need with its VP2770-LED monitor, including VGA, DVI, DisplayLink, and USB 3.0.